'Twas the Week Before Christmas

by Olivia Miles

  Max sighed, releasing a long ribbon of steam, and paused in front of a store window, noticing that even the bookstore boasted jolly, fuzzy snowmen in its display case.

  There was no escaping it. Maple Woods was a town consumed with Christmas.

  At least in New York, he could hunker down at the office or his apartment and forget about the festive activities going on around him.

  Max felt his mouth slide into a smile in spite of himself. He’d dated many women in New York over the years, but he’d never encountered a girl like Holly before, and certainly none with her zest for the holidays. Although, in fairness, he’d never really dated a woman long enough to be with someone for Christmas.

  Max put his blueprints in the trunk of his car and, after checking the meter and realizing that he had used very little of the time he had paid for, he strolled down the sidewalk in search of some basic necessities.

  A jungle of bells chimed when he pushed through the doors to a sporting goods store. He selected some thick wool socks, a scarf, hat and a pair of heavy-duty boots. If today’s meeting was any indication of things to come, he wouldn’t be leaving Maple Woods anytime soon, and he might as well make himself comfortable for the duration of his stay. He’d assumed he could come into town, meet with the mayor and spend the rest of the day getting a feel for the town before heading out the next morning. Unforeseen complications were never welcome when it came to business. Throw Holly into the mix, and Max had the unsettling sensation that personal complications were equally threatening.

  From a neatly folded pile on a display table, he selected three thick sweaters and a pair of corduroy pants and, after a brief hesitation and the memory of that cold, icy wind slicing through his overcoat, he grabbed a down parka from a nearby rack.

  “Do you know where I can get a cup of coffee around here?” he asked the clerk as he handed over his credit card.

  The kid arched an eyebrow and studied him. “You’re not from around here, are you?”

  Max shrugged. “Know a good place?”

  “There’s not much to do in Maple Woods,” the kid elaborated, and Max detected a hint of resentment in his tone. Teenagers. “You’ve got your bar. You’ve got your pizza parlor. And you’ve got your diner.”

  “Just a cup of a coffee will do,” Max said patiently.

  “Try Lucy’s Place.”

  Max felt a wave of exasperation take hold. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know Lucy.”

  “Lucy’s Place. It’s the name of the diner.” The kid shook his head and hissed out of a breath. “You really aren’t from around here.”

  Max inhaled sharply, but something inside him resonated with this surly kid. He was once like that. Small-town boy with big-city dreams. Desperate to break free and never look back. “Where can I find this Lucy’s Place?”

  The kid tilted his chin toward the window. “Just across the street.”

  “Thanks.” Max reached for his bag and tucked his wallet back into his pocket.

  “Tell Lucy that Bobby Miller sent you,” the kid said, managing a tight smile. “She’ll take care of you.”

  Max squinted as sudden realization took hold. Miller. As in George Miller? After a slight hesitation, he nodded his thanks and jogged across the street to the diner as a blast of wind slapped his face, wishing he’d had the sense to have already put on that parka.

  * * *

  Holly’s heart flipped at the sight of Max walking into the diner and she paused mid-sentence in surprise. His broad shoulders filled that ridiculous overcoat perfectly, leaving her wishing she could see the fine details of what lay beneath. He stood in the doorway, all at once looking devilishly handsome and slightly bewildered.

  Watching her reaction, Lucy Miller whispered over the Formica counter, “Who’s that?”

  Holly slid her eyes back to her friend. “He’s a guest at the inn.”

  Lucy lifted her head and murmured, “Looks like you’ve made quite an impression on him.”

  Holly followed Lucy’s gaze back to the front of the room, where Max caught her stare and lit up with an almost relieved smile. He held his hand up and began winding his way through the crowded tables to where Holly was perched at the counter, his athletic frame allowing him to do so with ease.

  “Hey,” he said, flopping companionably onto the stool beside her.

  “Hi,” Holly said cautiously, feeling a shiver of excitement at his proximity. “This is a surprise.”

  “Thought I’d get a quick cup of coffee and check out the town before I went back to the inn.”

  Lucy took her cue and pulled a ceramic mug off a shelf. She slid it toward Max and gave Holly a fleeting look. Holly pursed her lips and shifted her focus back to Max. “When is your, um, business meeting?”

  “Already happened,” Max said simply and Holly’s heart turned heavy. The meeting was over. His purpose in Maple Woods was finished. He’d be leaving just as quickly as he’d arrived.

  He was only booked for two nights but somehow Holly had hoped something would keep him longer. It was a silly thought, she realized now. He had a life to get back to in New York. A life that didn’t include her.

  She forced a bright smile. “Did it go well?”

  Max pulled a noncommittal face. He shrugged. “We’ll see.”

  Holly narrowed her eyes and looked down to her own coffee cup, not sure what to say next. Max liked his privacy, and she wasn’t one to pry. If he wanted to share his reasons for being here, he would. But his evasiveness was unnerving and unfamiliar. Maple Woods wasn’t a town based on secrets. If you had one, it was bound to come out sooner than later.

  Max was a fresh reminder of what her life had been like back in Boston, and she suddenly realized how much she had changed since she’d moved away. And how little she missed her old life. After her parents died, the city had felt vast and empty. Cold. It wasn’t until she moved permanently to Maple Woods that she remembered what it felt like to be surrounded by friends and people who genuinely cared enough to let you in, not keep you at arm’s reach.

  “I thought you’d be busy at the inn all day,” Max observed.

  “Believe it or not, I do get out,” Holly said with a grin. “Abby helps hold down the fort.”

  “And Abby is?”

  “Oh, I suppose you wouldn’t have met her yet. She helps run things. Sort of a manager or housekeeper, if you will. But she’s also a friend.”

  Max nodded, his blue gaze locked intensely with hers as if hanging onto her every word. It had been a long time since a man had paid this much attention to her, and Holly felt her nerves flutter under his gaze. Every time their eyes met, her stomach did involuntary somersaults.

  The last man who had looked at her with this much interest was Brendan, her last boyfriend in Boston. And look how that had ended, she thought bitterly. But something told her Max was different.

  Not that it matters, she thought sadly.

  “Here are your pies, hon.” Lucy placed a stack of white pie boxes in front of Holly.

  Holly lifted the lid of the box on top and stole a peek at the contents. “Oh,” she cried. “Apple-cranberry. My favorite.”

  “That’s for the guests,” Lucy remarked with a playful smile. She glanced at Max. “You like pie?”

  Max shrugged. “I liked the pie I had last night.”

  “That was Lucy’s creation,” Holly explained. “She bakes all the pies for the inn. I drop by every morning to pick them up.”

  “This one keeps me in business,” Lucy said.

  “I find that hard to believe,” Max said, an edge creeping into his once-pleasant tone. He looked around the crowded room. “This place seems to be doing pretty well on its own.”

  “Eh. At times. But you’d be amazed how many regulars come in, spend a buck-fifty on a cup of coffee and sip refil
ls for two hours. Like Mr. Hawkins over there.” She gave a pointed stare to the end of the counter where an older man sat sipping at his mug, the newspaper splayed in front of him. The poor man had been a fixture at the diner ever since his wife had died more than ten years ago. Holly couldn’t remember a day she hadn’t come in to collect her pies and had not seen him sitting in that very seat. He clearly couldn’t bear the thought of being alone.

  Makes two of us.

  Max raised his eyebrows as he considered Lucy’s logic. “Never thought about that. And on that note, I’ll take a slice of pie.”

  A warm glow flowed through Holly at his kind effort. Why couldn’t she have met a guy like Max in Maple Woods?

  But then, that was the drawback to living in a small town. She couldn’t find the right one in Boston. And now she couldn’t find the right one here, either. Max seemed like everything she was looking for and more. But of course, he came with a hitch. He was just passing through her life. He wasn’t a permanent part of it.

  “What’s your poison, stranger?” Lucy asked. She pointed to the blackboard on the wall. “We’ve got pumpkin, apple and pear.”

  “If apple-cranberry is Holly’s favorite flavor, then I think I’ll take her up on the recommendation.”

  Holly bit her lip to hide her smile and locked eyes with Lucy, who had approval stamped all over her face.

  “Good answer,” Lucy observed. She pulled a fresh pie off a baking rack and cut into it.

  “Looks like we’ll need a fresh one for the evening crowd,” Emily Porter said, coming around the counter. Holly smiled at her friend, who was another familiar face at Lucy’s Place.

  “I’ll get started on that after things quiet down.” Emily paused, noticing Max for the first time, and then slid her eyes to Holly, barely suppressing her interest, before she disappeared into the kitchen.

  “I worked in a restaurant in college,” Max volunteered.

  Holly perked up with interest. “So did I! I waited tables.”

  “You never told me about this,” Lucy said, a sly smile creeping at her lips. “How long were you a waitress for?”

  “Five hours,” Holly admitted. It was such a short but horrifying memory that she often forgot she had ever endured it.

  “Five hours?” Max guffawed, his bright blue eyes gleaming with amusement. He stared at her, enraptured, and Holly felt the room tilt.

  He was just...perfect.

  Holly shook her head and closed her eyes, just thinking of her stint as a waitress. “It was awful. I was in college and I needed a part-time job, so I applied to work at this little café. I showed up to work on the first morning and they spent ten minutes showing me how to work the espresso machine—nothing I tried helped me to succeed in foaming that milk.”

  Lucy nodded. “It’s tricky.”

  “So they—wait, they fired you for not being able to foam milk?” Max’s lips twitched in amusement.

  “No, it went beyond the milk,” Holly said. “They were short-staffed that day and my boss wanted to go golfing. He spent another ten minutes teaching me how to use the cash register—”

  “Let me guess?” Max’s eyes danced.

  Holly gave him a playful swat, wondering for a split second if she had gone too far, but he swatted her right back. Her heart did a little jig. “So I couldn’t foam the milk and I could barely use the cash register. I was the only person working aside from the cook and I had to seat people, take their orders, foam the milk, bring the food, take care of the bill, and bus the tables. It was awful. Well, I was awful. So awful, that one customer left me two nickels for a tip.”

  Max’s hand was covering his ear-to-ear grin and his eyes were now wide as saucers. A heavy silence was interrupted by a sputtering of laughter and then Max tossed his head back, roaring. Lucy simply shook her head in dismay.

  “Two nickels?” Max repeated, when his laughter had died down.

  Holly nodded solemnly at the memory. She had never been so mortified. Never felt so ashamed. But looking back, she had to agree it was rather funny.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. But—two nickels?” Max erupted into another wave of laughter and finally composed himself, wiping at his eyes. “And here I was, just beginning to think you were perfect. Now I know you have a fatal flaw. You are a terrible waitress.”

  Holly’s cheeks flushed deep and hot but her pulse kicked up a notch. He thought she was perfect. And here she thought it was the other way around.

  “I bet you were a good waiter,” Lucy said to Max.

  Max shrugged and gave a humble grin. “I was better than Holly.”

  “Hey!” But she wasn’t mad. How could she be? He was teasing her, and there was only one reason why boys teased.

  “I’m just being honest.” His eyes gleamed in merriment. “I mean, you were able to buy some penny candy with your tips and I was able to, well...pay rent.”

  Holly laughed but silently considered his words. Max seemed like the type of guy who came from money. Not one who had to earn it. But then, there was a lot about Max she didn’t know.

  Yet.

  “Restaurant work is hard work. There’s a lot most folks don’t think about until they’re in the business,” Lucy commented. She handed Max his slice of pie and placed a fork on a fresh napkin. “It’s grueling at times. For everyone. Not that I’m complaining. I love this place—don’t get me wrong—but it’s hard work. And having a little extra cash, especially around the holidays, helps.”

  Max’s mouth thinned. “I’m Max, by the way.”

  “Lucy. Lucy Miller.”

  Holly felt Max stiffen in his chair. She scrutinized him sidelong, questioning the reaction.

  “I think I might have just met your son—Bobby, is it? Over at the sporting goods shop?”

  Lucy chuckled. “So, you’ve had the pleasure, then? Yes, he’s my son.”

  “Excuse me for asking, but why doesn’t he work at the diner instead of the store across the street?”

  “He’s too cool for it.” Lucy pursed her lips. “He used to help out here, but then his buddy got him that job at the sports place. It’s a chance for them to hang out and earn some money at the same time. I can’t complain since it keeps him out of trouble, but it would be nice to have the family help at the diner. Instead we’re paying another classmate of his to help out on weekends.”

  Holly shook her head and heaved a sigh. Lucy often confided in her about her aggravation with her son’s behavior. Bobby wasn’t a bad kid. He was just a kid with dreams that extended beyond Maple Woods. “Kids these days.”

  Lucy tightened the apron strings at her waist. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll grow up one day and take over this place. Hope springs.”

  Lucy left them to tend to another customer and Holly turned to Max. She patted the pie boxes gingerly, so as to not crush the delicate contents. “I should probably get going.”

  A wave of possible disappointment shadowed Max’s chiseled face and Holly instantly regretted her words. It wouldn’t kill her to stick around for a little longer. But then, why bother getting cozier with Max when he was just going to vanish from her life tomorrow?

  “You’re really going to leave me sitting here all by myself? Why not stay and have another cup of coffee with me? ”

  She hesitated. “I should probably get back and see if Abby needs any help...”

  “Fine, fine, go. But on one condition,” Max insisted.

  Holly’s pulse skipped a beat. She carefully wrapped her scarf around her neck and gathered her stack of pie boxes. “What’s that?”

  “Give me a rain check?” He regarded her hopefully.

  Like she’d even consider saying no.

  Chapter Four

  After returning to the inn, Holly continued with her normal routine, h
elping where needed with the lunch service and overseeing any other guest requests. She spotted Max at lunch, sitting at the same table as breakfast, under the heated gaze of Evelyn Adler from across the room. It seemed dear Evelyn’s interest hadn’t faded through the morning hours, but if Max was aware of her unabashed stare, he’d done a good job of feigning oblivion. Holly had hoped to be able to chat with him before he was through with his meal, but the phone hadn’t stopped ringing. Guests slated to arrive in the coming days were inquiring about the weather conditions and yet another had already cancelled their weekend reservation. By the time she made it back to the dining area, Max was already gone.

  Holly smiled to herself as she set down the wicker laundry basket outside the linen closet. She folded a soft ivory hand towel and placed it on its appropriate shelf, her mind firmly on Max instead of the task. She had thought her heart would nearly stop when she saw his tall, muscular frame standing in the doorway of Lucy’s Place that morning—it was her usual morning stop, and his presence had shaken her routine...in a good way. She had always enjoyed her quick trip into town to pick up a stack of fresh pies and have a cup of coffee with Lucy, but something told her from now on she would always have one eye on that diner door, half expecting him to walk through, looking every bit the strapping, rugged man that had so unexpectedly appeared this morning.

  It was deeply unfair that he had to be leaving town tomorrow, Holly thought with a sigh. If not sooner, considering the storm.

  “Holly?” From down the hall, Abby’s voice called out softly.

  Holly felt her spirits perk at the sound of her friend’s voice. “Back here! Folding the linens!” she cried with a smile that drooped when she saw Abby’s worried expression.

  “Don’t get upset,” Abby said, her normally pleasant tone laced with warning.

  Holly stopped folding a pillow case and groaned. “Don’t tell me.”